Report of 14 July 2012
Hello from the Carmel library!
What a place - books, mags, Internet, free.
Quite amazing how your kids' issues can make or break you, yes? Navin has been firm about joining ROTC as a way to finance his way through college. After first balking, and then trying to understand his sentiment, I spoke to Scott's friend, Craig, an Army alum, and he told me I was right to balk, that Navin could indeed be deployed. Then Craig spoke to Navin on our request; both our sons adore Craig because he epitomises how they want to be: firmly single, attractive, financially successful with loads of nice gadgets in his "cool" place, and irreverent and funny. After that talk, when I asked Navin what he thought, he said, "I'm still firm about joining ROTC." He is fairly quiet and thunderously obstinate when his ways are questioned. One of his best friends from elementary and high school - a young lady with straight A grades and known prodigious intellect - used to urge him to study, to put his own intellect to good use, and Navin would simply not.
Sigh. To live in a country where a 19 year old is deemed able to make his own, legally binding decisions - well, that has pros and cons.
Navin had also investigated the co-op option, where he would study a term and work a term in his field. However, that is taking a back seat to some lack of self-confidence, complete trepidation with approaching employers (Navin views every question coming from his mouth as an inconvenience to *someone, anyone*), and robustly doing nothing to improve his "skill set." To know how to handle a quiet child takes quite some doing, I tell you.
There is a sign on the door of our flat in Chennai, written by me, stating that there were only 2 precious entities in our lives, and that they came on the boys' birthdays. I have sat the boys down on more than 1 occasion, and stated that my jewellery and our car and our music/movie collection were nothing compared to what the boys were (irreplaceable and precious), and for them to please not be tempted to put their lives in jeopardy - either by unrestrained car travel, or unhelmeted motorcycle rides, or anything else. I told Navin yesterday that the sign still held.
I hate fights. Hate 'em.
Work has been grand. The other day, a little lady was discharged and went to another facility from here as family could not take care of her. She is a darling, and lucid in the mornings - "How are you?" "Fine, how are you?" - and then utterly confused as the day goes on. You can tell, though, that she was raised with strict emphasis on manners, as many Black folks are, and there is a lot of "Please" and "Thank you" from her in the course of a day. Makes work so much more fun when that happens. She has recuperated well enough to be elsewhere, and that is good for her, but all of us miss her a lot.
My knee is injured. I cannot run, or walk. That is probably adding to my foul mood. Exercise is an integral part of the start of my day and all this rest is essential, of course, and annoying. The therapists at work have been fabulous with giving me a strengthening regimen, and I can tell my knee is healing - or my quads are taking over some of the function - but not soon enough. She ain't known for patience, Scott will be quick to tell you. Several of my peers have, at various times, expressed inability to squat with ease, etc., and I used to always take such functions for granted. No more, I assure you.
I spoke to my Dad and that was fabulous. I had sent him a note through Naren, and he said he would frame it. It was a simple note, expressing appreciation and respect, and I am glad to have said it, as I did when my Mom was alive.
Unw -
R
What a place - books, mags, Internet, free.
Quite amazing how your kids' issues can make or break you, yes? Navin has been firm about joining ROTC as a way to finance his way through college. After first balking, and then trying to understand his sentiment, I spoke to Scott's friend, Craig, an Army alum, and he told me I was right to balk, that Navin could indeed be deployed. Then Craig spoke to Navin on our request; both our sons adore Craig because he epitomises how they want to be: firmly single, attractive, financially successful with loads of nice gadgets in his "cool" place, and irreverent and funny. After that talk, when I asked Navin what he thought, he said, "I'm still firm about joining ROTC." He is fairly quiet and thunderously obstinate when his ways are questioned. One of his best friends from elementary and high school - a young lady with straight A grades and known prodigious intellect - used to urge him to study, to put his own intellect to good use, and Navin would simply not.
Sigh. To live in a country where a 19 year old is deemed able to make his own, legally binding decisions - well, that has pros and cons.
Navin had also investigated the co-op option, where he would study a term and work a term in his field. However, that is taking a back seat to some lack of self-confidence, complete trepidation with approaching employers (Navin views every question coming from his mouth as an inconvenience to *someone, anyone*), and robustly doing nothing to improve his "skill set." To know how to handle a quiet child takes quite some doing, I tell you.
There is a sign on the door of our flat in Chennai, written by me, stating that there were only 2 precious entities in our lives, and that they came on the boys' birthdays. I have sat the boys down on more than 1 occasion, and stated that my jewellery and our car and our music/movie collection were nothing compared to what the boys were (irreplaceable and precious), and for them to please not be tempted to put their lives in jeopardy - either by unrestrained car travel, or unhelmeted motorcycle rides, or anything else. I told Navin yesterday that the sign still held.
I hate fights. Hate 'em.
Work has been grand. The other day, a little lady was discharged and went to another facility from here as family could not take care of her. She is a darling, and lucid in the mornings - "How are you?" "Fine, how are you?" - and then utterly confused as the day goes on. You can tell, though, that she was raised with strict emphasis on manners, as many Black folks are, and there is a lot of "Please" and "Thank you" from her in the course of a day. Makes work so much more fun when that happens. She has recuperated well enough to be elsewhere, and that is good for her, but all of us miss her a lot.
My knee is injured. I cannot run, or walk. That is probably adding to my foul mood. Exercise is an integral part of the start of my day and all this rest is essential, of course, and annoying. The therapists at work have been fabulous with giving me a strengthening regimen, and I can tell my knee is healing - or my quads are taking over some of the function - but not soon enough. She ain't known for patience, Scott will be quick to tell you. Several of my peers have, at various times, expressed inability to squat with ease, etc., and I used to always take such functions for granted. No more, I assure you.
I spoke to my Dad and that was fabulous. I had sent him a note through Naren, and he said he would frame it. It was a simple note, expressing appreciation and respect, and I am glad to have said it, as I did when my Mom was alive.
Unw -
R
posted by Renu Weiss at
12:18 PM
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